Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Anker cables keep failing

J

JamesMay82

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Oct 12, 2009
1,485
1,211
Does anyone have issues with Anker cables. We’ve been using them for years but on the basis we have replace them every 6 months or so. No damage and mint condition but they just stop working.

Starting to drive me crazy! Any suggestions for any other brands of cables that are reasonably priced?
 
  • Haha
  • Love
Reactions: JapanApple, cateye and waltman
Monoprice is always a good suggestion, I've found Best Buy's store brand cords to be surprisingly solid as well; "Best buy essentials" and "insignia". I gave up on Anker cable years ago, I love their batteries though.
 
Never had a single Anker cord fail. One that my wife has is beginning to lose the rubber at one end but it still works.

What series of their cables do you use? All of mine are the Powerline 2 or 3 series but now I notice they have a weird numbering system. At the time I believe the Powerline series was their best and had a very good, if not lifetime warranty.

Edit: looking back I did replace 1 cord of the 8 or so that I have had over the years, it was probably not treated all that well as my wife tends to charge while using.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: _Mitchan1999, BugeyeSTI and Zaydax333
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
JamesMay82 said:
Does anyone have issues with Anker cables. We’ve been using them for years but on the basis we have replace them every 6 months or so. No damage and mint condition but they just stop working.

Starting to drive me crazy! Any suggestions for any other brands of cables that are reasonably priced?
Click to expand...
How are you using them?


Are you plugging in the phone and then walking away or are you holding the phone while you use it plugged in? If you’re constantly pulling on and bending them, they won’t last very long.

I was going through cables right and left till about the iPhone 12. At that point battery life was sufficient enough that I didn’t need to be constantly tethered to a power supply. Now my cables last forever.
 
  • Haha
  • Like
Reactions: JapanApple and The Apple Bitch
russell_314 said:
If you’re constantly pulling on and bending them, they won’t last very long.
Click to expand...

This.

And had seen a family friend that would grab the cable by the cable and yank it to unplug. Tore off the Lightning connector twice that way with last time so twisted in that could not pop the pins on the side to eject the remnants of the connector. Extreme case but if not pulling out cleanly, can see bending the clips.

And since Lightning cable per OP, shmutz in the devices' ports?

Have had Anker cables for years, no failures. Or Amazon and no names as well. Apple cables though...
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: JapanApple, russell_314, jetsam and 2 others
It’s all how you use it. Anker makes some of the best cables for the price. Been using Anker cables and chargers for over a decade and they all still work. Again, how you use it matters and your mileage may vary. Worth noting have had multiple Apple brand lightning cables fail over the years.
 
If there is truly no damages (no viable damage at least) and they just stop working: You need to stop buying Anker then.

I’ve never owned or used an Anker cable, so I can’t speak from my own personal experience. But if that’s your personal experience, then it’s definitely time to switch to a different brand.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JamesMay82
brofkand said:
Typically this happens when you use the device as it's charging, strains the cable. No cable is going to last long in that scenario. No sense in buying expensive cables.
Click to expand...
You do realize the power draw is managed by the device and you using the device more doesn’t mean you’re suddenly drawing power that could tase a T-Rex right?

Ironically, you using the device while charging increases the temp which would mean less wattage till it cools down.
 
jazzzyJeff said:
You do realize the power draw is managed by the device and you using the device more doesn’t mean you’re suddenly drawing power that could tase a T-Rex right?

Ironically, you using the device while charging increases the temp which would mean less wattage till it cools down.
Click to expand...
I’m almost positive that’s not what the brofkand meant.

I’m nearly sure that brofkand was saying: If you are using the device (in your hand) while the cable is plugged-in, the cable is being moved around and therefore the cable is being strained. Strained in a way that wouldn’t happen if the device was plugged-in, but left on a table and not being moved at all.
 
russell_314 said:
How are you using them?


Are you plugging in the phone and then walking away or are you holding the phone while you use it plugged in? If you’re constantly pulling on and bending them, they won’t last very long.

I was going through cables right and left till about the iPhone 12. At that point battery life was sufficient enough that I didn’t need to be constantly tethered to a power supply. Now my cables last forever.
Click to expand...
There are no visible signs of damage and in the old days we use to have cables that were frayed and they still worked.

I will concede that my young daughter uses them though and often plugged in and she probably isn’t the gentlest!

Perhaps I’ll blame her lol.
 
  • Like
Reactions: russell_314
mattoruu said:
I’m almost positive that’s not what the brofkand meant.

I’m nearly sure that brofkand was saying: If you are using the device (in your hand) while the cable is plugged-in, the cable is being moved around and therefore the cable is being strained. Strained in a way that wouldn’t happen if the device was plugged-in, but left on a table and not being moved at all.
Click to expand...
Cables are designed with that in mind with reinforced connector ends. OP already mentioned their cable has zero damage so I’d assume that response wasn’t about physical damage/strain.
 
JamesMay82 said:
There are no visible signs of damage and in the old days we use to have cables that were frayed and they still worked.

I will concede that my young daughter uses them though and often plugged in and she probably isn’t the gentlest!

Perhaps I’ll blame her lol.
Click to expand...
I think the Anker ones have a tougher cloth outer, but that doesn’t help the wires inside. With older Apple cables you can see the damage because it’s just plastic on the outside. The new ones might be better though.

My unpopular opinion is they’re overpriced. Most phone accessories are extremely overpriced. just buy a generic branded cable that that’s longer. Maybe it will get pulled less.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ignatius345 and brofkand
jazzzyJeff said:
You do realize the power draw is managed by the device and you using the device more doesn’t mean you’re suddenly drawing power that could tase a T-Rex right?

Ironically, you using the device while charging increases the temp which would mean less wattage till it cools down.
Click to expand...

I am not talking about power draw. I mean by using the device you’re bending the cable and putting strain at the connectors, so it fails.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SirAnthonyHopkins, brucemr and JapanApple
russell_314 said:
I think the Anker ones have a tougher cloth outer, but that doesn’t help the wires inside. With older Apple cables you can see the damage because it’s just plastic on the outside. The new ones might be better though.

My unpopular opinion is they’re overpriced. Most phone accessories are extremely overpriced. just buy a generic branded cable that that’s longer. Maybe it will get pulled less.
Click to expand...

Indeed, all my cables are 6 foot now. I don’t have anything shorter, except in the car where longer cables are completely unnecessary.
 
  • Like
Reactions: russell_314
Used Anker cables, battery packs, and chargers for 5 years. 80% are no longer working buy this crap 3 years ago. Between service and failure, I had enough of their BS.
3 members used these mostly taking care not to PULL them out of ports ETC. Most of the time the material is just cheap and breaks regardless of if they are inexpensive or their overpriced crap. It doesn't matter if you handle them carefully or not, they are not worth it to our family.
 
Last edited:
I have been using two of these Anker braided USB-C cables for almost a year now - one in the car and another one for slow-charging my iPhone overnight, no complaints so far.

IMG_1436.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: russell_314 and icanhazmac

An interesting look inside. I am not a fan of cheap cables powering my $1000+ device(s), why take the chance.

PS -
  • What You Get: Anker 541 USB-C to Lightning Cable (Bio-Based 6ft), welcome guide, our worry-free 24-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
As an amendment to my original post, I did have 1 cable go bad and they replaced it and only asked for an email picture of the bad cable with the end cut off. The cable in question was a powerline II usbc to lightning and it was my wife's, she is not gentle at all and commonly uses her iPad while it is plugged in.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back